


In Some Universe

by 7_Magpies



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Never - Freeform, Ryan Bergara Loves Shane Madej, Shane Madej Loves Ryan Bergara, projecting my own anxieties on real people in fake situations?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25629151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7_Magpies/pseuds/7_Magpies
Summary: Shane sometimes thinks about how things could be different. Ryan helps him realize the fact that things are how they are for a reason.Rated T for slight language & alcohol
Relationships: Ryan Bergara & Shane Madej, Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 12
Kudos: 96





	In Some Universe

**Author's Note:**

> Look, this is RPF. I am in no way insinuating that these two are in love. I have the utmost respect for both of these goofballs.
> 
> This is also my first time writing for this fandom so any comments on characterization would be greatly appreciated.

Shane often finds himself thinking about alternate universes. If one small thing changed in the past, how would the word today be different? If his brother hadn’t moved to LA, would Shane have ever ended up at Buzzfeed? 

In the chaos of the universe, it’s paradoxically both maddening and calming to look at the threads connecting each minuscule event to what he thinks of as reality. 

He usually only has these thoughts at night in bed when he can’t calm his mind down enough to sleep, and he’ll stick a  _ Mission: Impossible  _ movie in and watch it to stop his racing thoughts. 

Tonight, though, he doesn’t have that option. 

He and Ryan are across the country filming for the Supernatural season. It’s late, and they just got back from a particularly harrowing location. At least, so Ryan claims. Shane has been trying to calm him down enough to chase away the panic in his coffee-dark eyes, but to no avail. Eventually, once they got to their shared hotel room, he handed Ryan a beer. 

“Sit, dude. You need a drink. I’ll deal with the equipment.”

Ryan took the bottle and murmured his quiet appreciation as Shane took the camera from him. 

After putting the cameras away and kicking off his ghoul-hunting boots, Shane grabbed a bottle for himself and walked to the window, looking out at the night sky. 

He heard a rustling and turned to see Ryan join him. The smaller man was quiet, and stood closer to Shane than strictly friendly, but Shane didn’t care. 

Why would he? He’d been trying to get as close to Ryan as possible without scaring the skittish man away for a long time. 

They stood in silence, drinking their beers and looking out at the night sky, where stars were actually visible. 

_ How many events must have added up for this to happen?  _ Shane wondered to himself. 

_ For this man and me to have this job and be here right now. How easy would it have been for that to go wrong? _

_ How hard would it have been for events to lead to us being more than friends?  _

“Do you ever think about chance?” Shane heard himself muse softly. 

Ryan seemed to take a few seconds to hear him. “How do you mean?” he replied after a moment. 

“I mean, like, what are the odds that you and I would be right here right now? What all had to have gone right in the history of the world for this to happen?” He knew he was sounding a little delirious, and he sipped his drink as he waited for Ryan’s response. 

“I don’t know, man. I didn’t realize you’re a philosophical drunk,” Ryan said with a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. 

“I’d have to be a hell of a lightweight for that,” Shane pointed out with a smile, holding up his barely-touched bottle. “I’ve just been thinking. I don’t know if you believe in the whole ‘alternate reality’ thing, that every choice we make branches into different realities.”

Ryan shrugged. “I’ve heard of it. Probably seen a movie or two with it.”

Shane nodded and turned from the window to look straight at Ryan. “Look, you and I both know I don’t, you know,  _ emote  _ well.”

“You can say that again,” Ryan joked before seeing the seriousness in Shane’s expression. “You alright there, big guy?”

“Yeah. I just, I wanted to say…” he sighed, running his hand through his already insane hair. “I’m glad. You know. That I’m in this reality. The one where you’re my best friend and I just looked at an old house that you think is haunted with you and we’re drinking beer in our hotel room.” 

Ryan smiled a little bit. “I think that’s as much of a compliment I’m ever getting from you. But I’m glad, too.” 

Shane noticed Ryan’s feet inching closer, and stood still. 

It was slow, the way Ryan leaned forward and Shane bent over to meet his friend. Shane couldn’t tell if he was giving Ryan time to back out or vice versa, but soon their lips were only a hair’s breadth away. 

Shane closed the last of the distance, keeping the contact chaste and easy for Ryan to back down from. 

Ryan, alternatively, put his beer down on the window sill and wrapped his arms around Shane’s torso. The movement seemed to wake Shane back up, and he placed his bottle next to Ryan’s and buried his fingers in Ryan’s dark hair. He had the presence of mind to note the fact Ryan’s hair was just as soft as it looked like it should be. 

Shane had imagined this more often than he’d care to admit, but in his mind it had never been close to the real thing. Ryan’s lips were so much softer than he anticipated, and they gave a weird texture due to Ryan biting them out of nervousness all night, which Shane decided he liked. 

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Ryan broke the kiss, looking down at their feet while staying wrapped up in Shane‘a arms. “We probably need to… need to talk about that,” he said breathlessly after a moment. 

Shane nodded. “Right. But, in the morning? We should really be going to bed.”

Ryan looked back up and smiled. “In the morning, then.”

Shane pulled away reluctantly. “I’m gonna change real quick, ok?”

Ryan nodded and went to his own bag to grab his sweatpants to sleep in as Shane went to the bathroom. 

Shane looked at himself in the mirror for a moment when he went into the bathroom, not sure what he was looking for. He reached his hand up and touched his lips lightly, remembering the feeling of Ryan being there. 

After a few seconds, he shook his head at his own ridiculousness and changed clothes. When he returned to the main room, he saw Ryan already changed and lying in one of the beds. 

Shane walked over to the other bed and was about to move the sheets when he heard Ryan say “wait” so softly he thought he might have missed it. 

Shane looked over at him. “What’s up?”

Ryan looked almost embarrassed, but continued anyways. “Could you - um, I mean, would you mind just, uh…” he trailed off, studying his hand. “It’s just, I’m scared,” he finally said. 

Shane smiled a little bit. “Do you want me to sleep next to you and scare off the ghouls?” 

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Not if you’re gonna be a jackass about it.”

Shane climbed in the bed next to Ryan, leaving a respectable distance between him and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. The only light was the occasional passing headlight from the road outside. 

Shane heard movement and felt Ryan scoot closer to him, placing a hand on Shane’s arm. 

“Shane?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks.” 

“For what?”

“Being you,” Ryan eventually said. “Yeah, I know, it was cheesy as hell.”

Shane smiled. “As long as you’re aware.” He felt Ryan move over and press his lips to Shane’s cheek. Shane flushed at the tender contact. 

He looked to the side, and Ryan kissed his lips softly. “I know we’re going to talk about it tomorrow,” he said after pulling back, “but I want you to know that this isn’t just because I’m scared. I’ve been thinking about this for… some time.”

“Me too,” Shane said softly. 

Ryan chuckled. “So we could’ve been doing this for longer? That sucks.” 

“Well, in some realities, we have been.”

“Sure.” Ryan was quiet for a moment. “How many realities do you think we’re, you know, a  _ thing _ in?”

Shane smiled at the phrasing. “A  _ thing _ ?”

“You know what I mean.” 

Shane thought for a moment. “I think a lot. Honestly, I do. Because I don’t think there are many realities where I’ve met you and not fallen for you.”

Ryan was quiet at that response. He leaned over and kissed Shane again. It was more of a peck, really, but Shane wasn’t complaining. 

Maybe choices lead to an infinite number of realities where everything is different. 

Or maybe there was only one version of him and it was lying next to Ryan. 

Shane decided he was happy either way, and was willing to let that mystery remain unsolved, so long as this version of him wasn’t leaving Ryan’s side. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked it please leave kudos or a comment! 
> 
> Yeah, I had to make that "unsolved" joke at the end. I couldn't not.


End file.
